Aeroplane attachment.



H. T. MCMURRAY. AEROPLANE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7. |916- l. Lmmw. Patented July 1o, 1917.

lllllll I* ily applied to various-typesof aeroplanes.

Hartman T. netrunner, or nrvn'nnon, ILLINOIS.

.annornann ATTACHMENT.

Specicati'on of Letters Patent.

rammen .rally Io, reir.

Application led November 7, 1916. Serial No. 129,970.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known'that I, HAYWARD 'I. Moll/IUE- RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Divernon, inthe county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip-v tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. f

The invention relates to an attachnent for aeroplanes.

The object' of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive device adapted to be readand capable of enabling the same to rise quickly and maintain an elevated position while comparatively stationary or moving forwardly at a relatively low speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of this character having a horizontally disposed propeller located beneath the aeroplane and adapted to assist the descent and landing of the machine and capable of increasing the eiliciency and safety of the same and the facility or ease of handling the aeroplane.

It is yalso an .object of the invention to provide an adjustable device capable of being readily applied to machines of different sizes andl adapted to rigidly support the parts in proper position.

`With these and other objects in view, the

-invention consists in thel construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying I drawings, and pointed out in the. claims Fig. 3 is a detaily view illustrating the arrangement of the bearings for the upper end of the vertical shaft.

Like numerals of reference desi responding parts in the several the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the attachment which is ate corgures of shown applied to a monoplane of the Bleriot type comprises in its construction a horizontal propeller 1 vlocated below the front portion of\ the frame 2 of the machine and suitably fixed to the lower end of a vertical shaft 3 which'is connected by beveled gears 4 and 5 with a main horizontal propeller shaft 6. 'llhe shaft 6 which is connected with the engine or motor .of the aeroplane lin any desired manner `is equipped at its front end with a vertical propeller 7 of the usual construction and as the parts of the aeroplane areof the usual construction and well understood in the art a detail description of the same is deemed unnecessary.

The upper end V8 of the vertical shaft is mounted in al suitable bearing 10 carried by the shaft 6 and having the gears 4 and 5 fitted against the adjacent sides of it. r1`he bearing 10 islprovided with an opening 11 for thepassage of the longitudinal propeller shaft `6 and has a lower bearing recess 12 /forming an end thrust bearing socket for the upper end of the lshaft 3. The lowerl portion of the shaft 3 is arranged in a suitable bearing 13, and is connected by relatively adjustable arms 14 and 15 with the frame work of the machine. and 15 which areinclined slightly as shown are/secured by clips or `clamps 16 to the frame ofthe machine. The outer-portions 17 and 18of the arms 14 and 15 are horizontal and in alinement and the inner portions 19 and 20 are provided with perforations 21 and 22 adapted to receive bolts 23l for adjustably securing the arms 14 and 15 together and to the bearing 13. The inner horizontal portion 20 of the bracing arm 15 is of greater length than the inner horizontal portion 19 of the bracing arm 14. TheA oppositel inclined bracing members or arms 15 rigid y su port the lower portions of the vertical sha ing may have a lbracing arm 24 extending 'around the outer side of the gear 5, but the bracing arm may be omitted when a set collar 25 lis employed. The set collar 25 is 1o- 3 and .the upper bear- The arms 14 cated at the opposite side of the bearing from the gear 5, and the said gear 5 and said collar will maintain the shaft 6 against longitudinal movement and retain the gears in mesh. For greater strength both pieces may be employed as shown.A

It will be seen that the attachment may be readily applied to aeroplanes of various types and sizes owing to the adjustable character of the arms or bracing members and that the propeller may be of different sizes according to the size of the aeroplane to which the device is applied, Also it will be clear that the lower horizontally disposed propeller which is driven at the same speed as`the front ma-in propeller, exerts an upward lift on the aeroplane with a force proportionate to the speed of the shaft and that it assists in the ascent of the machine and enables the machine to attain rapidly a high elevation. The device will enable the. descent of the machine to be controlled and to effect a landing as slowly as desired.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with an aeroplane having a horizontal propeller shaft, of a vertical propeller shaft depending `therefrom, gears connecting the upper end of the vertical propeller shaft with the longitudinal propeller shaft, a bearing mounted on i the longitudinal propeller shaft and receiving the upper end of the vertical propeller shaft, and oppositely inclined arms connected with the lower portion of the vertical shaft and secured at their upper ends to the frame work of the machine.

2. The combination with an aeroplane having a horizontal propeller shaft, of a Vertical propeller shaft depending therefrom, gears connecting the upper end of the vertical propeller shaft with the longitudinal propeller shaft, a bearing mounted on the longitudinal propeller shaft and receiving the upper end of the vertical propeller shaft, a lower bearing receiving the lower portion of the vertical shaft and oppositely inclined arms' secured at their upper ends to the frame of the machine and having horizontal portions at their lower ends, said horizontal portions being overlapped and of unequal length, the lower horizontal portion -being provided with perforations to effect an adjustment ofthe arms and fastening devices piercing the lower horizontal portions of the arms and securing the same to the lower bearing and maintalning them in an adjustable overlapped relation.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two` witnesses.

HAYWARD T. MCMURRAY.

Witnesses:

Mrs. BEN MCATEE, EMMA J. JONES. 

